Harry Tincknell drove the Aston Martin to the top spot in second practice for the Barcelona race on Friday afternoon. The British driver set a time of 1:31.712, just barely beating the Genesis Magma Racing car by 0.038 seconds. This narrow margin proves that old-school racing grit still beats new money when the track gets tough. The session ran for 90 minutes without a single major crash, letting drivers focus on pure speed and car setup.
Per Sportscar365, the top times all came in the first few minutes because the tires wore out fast on the Spanish track. Will Stevens in the Cadillac car was the only other driver to beat Robert Kubica’s morning best, taking fourth place. Nyck de Vries rounded out the top five in his Toyota, while two Cadillacs made the top six ahead of the works Ferraris. It was a clean, competitive showing that reminds us why we love the sport.
Why the Tiny Margin Matters
The gap between first and second place was so small it would be invisible to the naked eye. Genesis driver Mathys Jaubert pushed hard but could not quite catch Tincknell’s pace. This shows that the new Korean brand is getting better, but they still have work to do to beat the established teams. The fact that the best times were set early proves that tire management is the real key to winning on this track.
Aston Martin has a long history of building cars that last, and that heritage shows in how they handled the heat. They did not need to gamble on a risky strategy to get the top time. They just drove fast and kept their cool. That is the kind of steady, reliable performance that American families appreciate in any product they buy.
Genesis Has a Long Way to Go
Mathieu Jaminet, who drives for Genesis, admitted his team had a “very positive” showing at the last race in Japan but still finished outside the points. He told Sportscar365 that they need to improve their execution to turn good pace into a real result. The team has tested at this track before, but the hot summer conditions were very different from the rain expected this weekend.
Genesis is trying to prove they belong at the front, but they keep making small mistakes that cost them big places. A late penalty for speeding under yellow flags dropped their car to 11th in Japan. They cannot win races if they do not follow the rules and stay focused when the pressure is on. Tradition and discipline matter more than just having a shiny new car.
The final practice session for the 6 Hours of Barcelona takes place on Saturday morning. The LMGT3 runners will hit the track at 8:50 a.m. local time, followed by the Hypercar session after qualifying.